James Vance Hendricks, age 81, passed away in his home March 12, 2018.

Vance, and his twin sister Veryl, were born in Cove, Utah, on May 1, 1936, to Lorin and Annie Hendricks. They were the youngest of seven children. Working with his family on their dairy farm taught Vance how to work, a trait and value that he passed along to his children.

A chance meeting with Diane Larsen at a church dance changed his life. Vance recalled that, while driving home from their first date, he had to pull the car over to the side of the road, get out, and yell, "Wahoo!" They were married on July 14, 1958, in the Logan Temple. Together they raised six children and profoundly influenced their 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
The first years of marriage found Vance and Diane living in the very home where Vance was born and running their dairy farm while attending college. Even after he changed professions, Vance loved farming and continued to run a small farm in Rexburg.

Vance earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Utah State University and an EdD from BYU. Just before he completed his doctorate, he was hired by Ricks College, in Rexburg, Idaho, to work in the new counseling center. Vance and his family moved to Rexburg in 1966.

Vance dedicated himself to serving others. During his 32 years at the Ricks College, he worked in the Counseling Center. Prior to his retirement, he served as the director of the Counseling Center. Vance also created and ran the first Ricks College Testing Center. Stemming from his doctoral research, he developed a workshop to eliminate self-defeating behaviors and presented this workshop in many venues. Over the years, Vance helped thousands of students.

Vance served on the National Board of Directors for the ACT Corporation and later served as Secretary to the Board. In this position, Vance traveled across the United States; however, he always put his family first and found ways to partner family vacations with these board meetings so his children could see a world larger than their hometown.

In addition to his work with ACT, Vance spent 17 years on the Board of Directors for Northern Rockies Consortium for Higher Education (NORCHE). As a marriage and family counselor, he was involved with the Association for Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP), and served a three-year-term as the AMCAP President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President.
In recognition for his contributions to Ricks College, Vance was asked to serve, with Diane, on the BYU-Idaho President's Advancement Council. And in November 2015, he was awarded BYU-Idaho's Emeritus Alumni Award of Excellence.

A life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Vance devoted himself to service in the Church. As a young man, he served a mission to the Western Canadian Mission. Since that time he has served as scout master, counselor in the bishopric, high counselor, twice as a bishop, and twice in stake presidencies. He also served as an ordinance worker in the Idaho Falls and Rexburg Temples. Later he served as a sealer in the Rexburg Temple, a calling he cherished until his passing. However, Vance often noted his church service saying, "I tried to be a dedicated home teacher."

Upon retirement, Vance and Diane left Rexburg to serve as mission presidents in the Alaska Anchorage Mission. This would be the first of four missions they would serve together. In addition to their three years in Alaska, they served in the Missionary Department in Salt Lake City, Utah; as temple workers in the Washington D.C. Temple; and as the assistant recorder in the Rexburg Temple.

While Vance valued work and made this a priority, he always made time for fun. Most of his summers were divided between working on the farm and waterskiing with his family. He also loved snowmobiling in the winter, and fishing, golfing, and horseback riding in the summer. He shared these passions with his family and friends, and many of his grandchildren remember time spent fishing with Grandpa Hendricks. Additionally, Vance and Diane loved to travel the world together. Some of their favorite trips took them to England, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand.

Vance was dedicated to Diane and his children and considered his family one of his greatest accomplishments. Vance is survived by his beloved wife, Diane, and five of his six children. Susan (Dennis) Grover of Idaho Falls, ID; Patricia Hendricks of Idaho Falls, ID; Keith (Carol) Hendricks of Mesa, AZ; Cathryn (Greg) Housley of Idaho Falls, ID; and Anne (Jim) Papworth of Rexburg, ID. He is preceded in death by his youngest son, Christian Vance.

Services will be held Saturday, March 24, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. at the LDS Church on the corner of Millhollow and 7th Street. Before the service, the family will receive friends and family that morning from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. as well as the evening of Friday, March 23, 2018, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Flamm Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Richmond, Utah, Cemetery on Saturday, March 24, at 3:30 p.m., where he will be laid to rest next to his son Chris.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made through the LDS Philanthropies to the J. Vance Hendricks Scholarship: give.byui.edu/hendricks.